Included in this flight:
30g Jade Tie Guan Yin (清香鐵觀音, Qīng Xiāng Tiě Guān Yīn, "Clear Fragrance Iron Guan Yin") - One of the most famous oolong teas in China, Tiě Guān Yīn hails from the mountains of Anxi in Fujian. This tea is one of the most well-known and celebrated Chinese teas, and as such suffers from overproduction as tea companies try to capitalize on its renown. Grown from a robust cultivar of the same name known for its broad, deeply-serrated leaves, this tea was traditionally heavily oxidized and roasted with charcoal. More recently, the low-oxidation Qīng Xiāng 清香 ("Clear Fragrance") version of this rolled oolong has eclipsed the traditional style in popularity. This is not only due to its remarkably abundant floral fragrance when lightly oxidized, but also the fact that the low-oxidation process lends itself well to machine-processing. During West China Tea Company's first four years in business, we had a conspicuous gap in our inventory for not having this tea in stock. Try as we might, we had never located a version of this tea that we were happy with. After 5 determined days of searching through the tea markets of Anxi, we had tried dozens of Tiě Guān Yīn but nothing remotely drinkable. Discouraged and literally ill from trying so many chemical-laden teas, we went to the tiny hot spring town of Longmen, just south of Anxi county, to convalesce. Lo and behold, in a tiny hotel we were served the best low-oxidation Tiě Guān Yīn we had ever tried. When we asked the elderly innkeeper where she got it, she told us that she made it herself, in the hotel, with her husband. Sure enough, she showed us the tiny tea production operation they run out of their hotel - a whole wing of rooms dedicated to withering and drying, and tea-processing equipment in their first floor by the riverside. This emerald green rolled oolong has the rich perfume and balanced, satisfying mouthfeel that make Tiě Guān Yīn a classic.
30g Golden Turtle (黃金龜, Huáng Jīn Guī, "Golden Turtle") - The oolongs of Anxi county in Fujian are diverse but largely overshadowed by the most popular cultivar, Tiě Guān Yīn. The hype machine behind this most celebrated of Chinese teas has relegated many of the heirloom tea varietals of Anxi to obscurity or even extinction. Often referred to as the sè zhǒng 色種 ("Color Types"), these minority cultivars are distinctive and worthwhile in their own right, but lack the brand recognition or high yield to justify widespread cultivation. As such, they are often blended and sold as Tiě Guān Yīn. Searching for several days in the tea markets of Anxi failed to turn up examples of these Color Types (or even any decent Tiě Guān Yīn), and it wasn't until we left Anxi empty-handed that we discovered them in a small tea processing operation in Longmen, a tiny hot spring town just north of Xiamen. The octagenarian proprietors of the establishment have long-standing family ties to tea farmers in Anxi who still grow some of the traditional Color Types, and every year they acquire small batches of these heirloom teas which they keep separate and process themselves. A low-oxidation, machine-processed example of the classic Anxi rolled oolongs, these teas are sold in single-serving sachets in order to prevent oxidation and the loss of their delicate fragrances. Golden Turtle, along with Hairy Crab and Root Mountain, is one of the three most famous varietals that have become synonymous with the term Color Types. It is distinct for having a deeper golden color than the rest, both in leaf and liquor, as well as a buoyant, agreeable fruit note reminiscent of fresh cantaloupe.
30g Root Mountain (本山, běn shān, "Root Mountain") - The oolongs of Anxi county in Fujian are diverse but largely overshadowed by the most popular cultivar, Tiě Guān Yīn. The hype machine behind this most celebrated of Chinese teas has relegated many of the heirloom tea varietals of Anxi to obscurity or even extinction. Often referred to as the sè zhǒng 色種 ("Color Types"), these minority cultivars are distinctive and worthwhile in their own right, but lack the brand recognition or high yield to justify widespread cultivation. As such, they are often blended and sold as Tiě Guān Yīn. Searching for several days in the tea markets of Anxi failed to turn up examples of these Color Types (or even any decent Tiě Guān Yīn), and it wasn't until we left Anxi empty-handed that we discovered them in a small tea processing operation in Longmen, a tiny hot spring town just north of Xiamen. The octagenarian proprietors of the establishment have long-standing family ties to tea farmers in Anxi who still grow some of the traditional Color Types, and every year they acquire small batches of these heirloom teas which they keep separate and process themselves. A low-oxidation, machine-processed example of the classic Anxi rolled oolongs. Root Mountain, along with Golden Turtle and Hairy Crab, is one of the three most famous varietals that have become synonymous with the term Color Types. It is the most mild of the three, with a subtle cedar fragrance and a clean, refreshing flavor.
30g Hairy Crab (毛蟹, Máoxiè, "Hairy Crab") - The oolongs of Anxi county in Fujian are diverse but largely overshadowed by the most popular cultivar, Tiě Guān Yīn. The hype machine behind this most celebrated of Chinese teas has relegated many of the heirloom tea varietals of Anxi to obscurity or even extinction. Often referred to as the sè zhǒng 色種 ("Color Types"), these minority cultivars are distinctive and worthwhile in their own right, but lack the brand recognition or high yield to justify widespread cultivation. As such, they are often blended and sold as Tiě Guān Yīn. Searching for several days in the tea markets of Anxi failed to turn up examples of these Color Types (or even any decent Tiě Guān Yīn), and it wasn't until we left Anxi empty-handed that we discovered them in a small tea processing operation in Longmen, a tiny hot spring town just north of Xiamen. The octagenarian proprietors of the establishment have long-standing family ties to tea farmers in Anxi who still grow some of the traditional Color Types, and every year they acquire small batches of these heirloom teas which they keep separate and process themselves. A low-oxidation, machine-processed example of the classic Anxi rolled oolongs. Hairy Crab, along with Golden Turtle and Root Mountain, is one of the three most famous varietals that have become synonymous with the term Color Types. Harvested later than the other Color Types, Hairy Crab has a darker leaf color and correspondinbly "darker" fragrance than the rest, while still having a delicate and mild mouthfeel.
